BrewDog takes aim at gender pay gap with Pink IPA on International Women’s Day

Craft beer rebels BrewDog are taking aim at the gender pay gap by unveiling Pink IPA in time for International Women’s Day.

Satirically dubbed the “Beer for Girls”, the re-marketed version of its signature Punk IPA is the independent brewer’s claxon call for action over the gender pay gap and a dig at the sexist marketing aimed at women – particularly that produced by the beer industry.

BrewDog bars will discount Pink IPA by 20% for all those who identify as women – a price cut equivalent to the gender pay gap – and donate 20% of proceeds from sales of bottled Pink and Punk IPA to causes that combat gender inequality for the next four weeks.

The causes to benefit from sales of the beer include The Women’s Engineering Society and 9to5, a national membership organisation of working women in the US.

Sarah Warman, BrewDog’s global head of marketing, said: “The fact that the gender pay gap is still an issue in 2018 shows that a lot of lip service is being paid, but not enough action is being taken to tackle inequality. We want to accelerate change by empowering more women to make their voices heard and calling out industries and employees that need to do more. With Pink IPA, we are making a statement the only way we know how – with beer.

“Women make up a small but growing percentage of my peers within the beer industry, and with Pink IPA we are hoping to welcome more people who identify as female into craft beer. It’s an incredible industry to be a part of, and the more women we can get working behind the bar, the more women we can hope to see the other side of it.”

Tanisha Robinson, CEO of BrewDog USA added: “The beer industry has a duty to be representative of the people who drink beer. In practice, this means actively working toward inclusive work environments, rejecting sexist marketing and fighting societal stereotypes that push women away from spaces where beer is enjoyed. This is our overt parody on the failed, tone-deaf campaigns that some brands have attempted in order to attract women. Pink IPA is our rallying call to brewers and beer fans to rise to the challenge and change the image of beer, forever.”

International Women’s Day will commemorate the movement for women’s rights on Thursday 8 March.